The Federal Government published today (18), in the Official Journal of the UnionA decree waiving the visa to enter Brazil for Canadians, Australians, Japanese and North Americans. The measure will be officially announced by President Jair Bolsonaro tomorrow (19), during an official visit to the United States. The president, accompanied by his entourage, arrived yesterday (17) afternoon in Washington.

The visa exemption will be valid for entry into the country for tourism, commercial, sporting or artistic purposes, without the intention of establishing residence. The new rules will apply to anyone staying in Brazilian territory for up to 90 days, renewable for the same period, provided that they do not exceed 180 days every 12 months. The visa exemption, provided for by the decree, will come into force from June 17.

Currently, citizens of these four countries use an electronic system to obtain visas (E-visa) to enter Brazil. Through this program, tourists from these countries can apply online. The time taken to analyze and deliver the document is three days. In the normal procedure, the deadline reached 40 days.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, the adoption of e-visa has already increased the issuance of visas by 35.2%. It is expected that if all visa applications made in 2018 turn into trips, there will be an additional 217,800 tourists in Brazil. The Brazilian government’s intention is to reach 12 million tourists per year by 2022. If it achieves this, the number of visitors will almost double from the current number of 6.6 million.

The measurement is unilateral. Brazilians who wish to visit these countries must therefore apply for an entry visa, in accordance with the rules in force in each country.